`Frozen assets a must for success of new Libya`

Istanbul: The West must release all Libya`s
frozen assets in order for a new government to succeed
following the uprising against the 42-year-rule of Muammar Gaddafi, a senior Libyan rebel figure said on Friday.

"There will be high expectations after the collapse of
the regime. The frozen assets must be released for the success
of the new government to be established after the Gaddafi
regime," said Mahmud Jibril, number two in the rebels`
National Transitional Council (NTC).

He was speaking, through an interpreter, at a news
conference with Turkey`s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu the
day after senior diplomats of the Libya Contact Group met in
Istanbul and underlined the need to empower the NTC with
legal, political and financial means to form an interim
government.

"Salaries of civil servants need to be paid," said
Jibril. "Life needs to continue on its normal course."

The Gaddafi regime "is going through its final moments,"
he added, calling for efforts to restore peace and stability.

"The arms (being used by rebel fighters) must swiftly be
collected, so that we can establish a national army and a
strong police force," Jibril stressed.

Turkey`s Davutoglu hailed the release of USD 1.5 billion
in the frozen Libyan assets by the UN sanctions committee as a
"positive development."

Yesterday, the UN Security Council released the USD 1.5
billion worth of assets to be used for emergency aid.

The NTC sought five billion dollars in emergency aid from
frozen Libyan assets at a previous Contact Group meeting in
Doha earlier this week.

"What belongs to Libyan people must be delivered to the
Libyan people," said Davutoglu.

He also called for the international recognition of the
NTC as the legitimate representative of Libyan people.

Libya`s rebels announced today the transfer of their
leadership to Tripoli from their Benghazi base.

Jibril also met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and was expected to leave Istanbul later in the day.

The rebel leader shared concerns with Turkish officials
over legal obstacles before the news of the release of frozen
assets by the UN Security Council and said the Libyans were in
urgent need of funds, diplomatic sources told a news agency.

The Libyan leader`s visit comes after Turkey, which
claims
to be a regional power, sent its foreign minister to the rebel
bastion Benghazi on Tuesday.